1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an energy-saving mode-equipped apparatus equipped with energy-saving mode, information processing apparatus, and control method, and more particularly to a printing system constituted by an image forming apparatus, a search utility, and a printing client. The image forming apparatus is equipped with an energy-saving mode for restoring from a stopped status to a standby status upon receiving a self-addressed packet from outside via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been demand for equipping products which include image forming apparatuses with an energy-saving mode for suppressing power consumption of apparatuses in standby status. In network systems in which apparatuses equipped with an energy-saving mode are connected, it is sometimes the case that personal computers (PCs) and the like search through apparatuses whose energy-saving mode is enabled for a connection status or operation status of the apparatuses via the network. In such cases, PCs cancel the energy-saving mode of the apparatus by transmitting a launch packet for launching and then transmit a search packet for searching to the apparatuses (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-39940).
However, the greater the effectiveness of the energy-saving mode, the greater the number of modules in the product to which power supply is stopped. Accordingly, a long time is required to restore from energy-saving mode. Furthermore, since a function of the energy-saving mode is intimately related with the hardware modules and software modules constituting a product, the restore time of each model (and even for the same model, depending on the level of energy-saving mode set by the user) differs.
On this background, search clients (PCs) searching for the connection status and operation status of apparatuses on a network to which a plurality of apparatuses are connected, such as and office environment, cannot uniquely determine the time-out time, which is the upper limit of the search response time. For example, if the time-out time of the search client is set to a short time, apparatuses which are unable to restore from energy-saving mode within the time-out time will not be displayed in the search results. If the time-out time of the search client is set to a long time, time will be wasted determining that the apparatuses which are being searched for are not actually present.